Al Cohen

Al Cohen
Cover of Genii (2002)
Born	Alfred Lee Cohen January 11, 1926 Wilmington. Delaware
Known for	Magic Dealer/Performer, Magic Demonstrator, "Parnell Zorch"

Al Cohen (b.1926) was owner and demonstrator of Al's Magic Shop (now closed) in Washington D.C.

Biography

Early life

In 1936 at age 10, Al began working at his father's gift shop, "The Oriental Bazaar", in Washington D.C., which sold gifts and novelties. He continued to work in the shop even while attending college (first to get a degree in Entomology, and then Accounting). When the shop added some magic tricks from S.S. Adams Company to their inventory, this led to magic taking a hold on Al, and on the store as well --- which would eventually evolve into Al's Magic Shop.

Career in Magic

As a performer, Al has played many venues, including among others: the White House, early Washington TV, birthday parties, magic conventions, and Blue-Gold Banquets.

Early on, Al became a very successful demonstrator for his store, and a favorite at conventions. He would often appear and perform at conventions in the guise of his character, "Pernell Zorch".

General Norman Schwarzkopf, who shared with all of us an interest in Magic, once attended a magic convention in St. Petersburg, Florida, to watch Cohen’s Pernell Zorch Act, and Al was the one who signed Schwarzkopf’s (then a Colonel) application for the I.B.M..

Bob Carver doing Professor's Nightmare,
"M-U-M",
Jan. 1959

Al created many effects of his own to sell, including:

• A Professor's Nightmare handling with Ed Mishell called "Rope-A-Rama."
• The Mark manufactured by Sterling Magic.

Retirement

After the shop closed in 2004, Al started writing a periodic column, "Memoirs", for Genii.

Outside of magic, Al's interests include photography and travel.

References

• The Linking Ring, Vol. 65, No. 2, February 1985, OUR COVER, AL COHEN, page 57
• M-U-M, Vol. 84, No. 1, June 1994, THE AL COHEN ISSUE, Al's Magic Shop by Larry White, page 14
• The Linking Ring, Vol. 82, No. 2, February 2002, Al and Alice Cohen to Close Al's Magic by Larry Lipman, page 41
• Genii, Vol. 65, No. 3, March 2002, The End of an Era ... Al’s Magic Shop by Jamy Ian Swiss, page 24

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